Auburn Went to Oxford and it was Good

You know that if one biggest names in your school's football history
leaves the game via personal helicopter in the 3rd quarter of one of the
biggest home games of the year, things probably aren't going too well.
(If you didn't know, Eli Manning attended the game, and at some point in
the 3rd quarter, I looked up and there was a helicopter rising behind
the press box.) If this wasn't enough to tell you how the game was
going, I'm sure the half-empty student section and the amount of noise
coming from a few orange-clad corners of the stadium would let you know
that this one was over pretty early.

The Tigers once again found themselves in a small hole, but like
champions (no, I'm not serious, but couldn't resist), they didn't panic,
and took control of the game when the stadium was going crazy only a
few moments before. The first quarter was close, but by halftime Auburn
had put the Rebel fans back in their seats awaiting their fifth loss of
the season. However, as I mentioned earlier, they didn't stay too long. I
even had a few Rebel-faithful ask me what the final score ended up
being as we walked through the Grove on the way to our car.

"One man team" he says... It was obvious that Auburn knew what
Ole Miss was going to try to do to stop Cam. Malzahn knew that if the
Rebel defense did stop Newton on a few draws in the first drive or two
that they would gain confidence and the crowd would get loud. So
instead, he didn't even give Ole Miss a chance to stop Cam.

Malzahn spread the ball around the offense, proving to the Rebels and
the nation what people who have actually watched an Auburn game have
known all season: Cam is a HUGE part of the offense, but he is not THE
offense.

Newton didn't have a designed draw until the 2nd half, and by then
the game was pretty much put away. So even though Cam had a "quiet
night" of two touchdown passes and one touchdown receiving, the 180
yards by Dyer, 99 yards by McCalebb, and kickoff return by Washington
proved that a win could have probably happened without his eye-popping
numbers.

Maso-what? Jeremiah Masoli was supposed to challenge the
Auburn defense and provide the Rebel's half of a shootout. I'm sorry,
but I wasn't impressed at all. He made some really bad throws, and was
hawked down/chased to the sideline by Auburn's D-line and linebackers
all night.

It's funny how a Heisman candidate from Oregon's talents don't transfer to the SEC. Hmm.....

31 points. Some words have been spoken about Auburn giving up
31 points to Ole Miss. The next person that says that to you just slap
them right across the face, and tell them to watch a football game and
then come back to you. Then remind them that Auburn scored 51 and was
running the clock out on the first drive of the 2nd half.

I shouldn't have to explain it, but I will anyway. The next to last
touchdown was given up by half of Auburn's 2nd-string defense, and the
last touchdown was given up by an Auburn defense consisting of freshmen
and walk-ons in obvious mop-up duty. Don't be stupid.

Speed Demon(d). That pretty much says it all. When Demond
finds a seam, he's almost unstoppable. He really could have had scored
on three different kickoffs. On his first return, he had a huge opening down the
sideline but slipped, and another he was barely tripped up by the
kicker. He's definitely one of the best returners Auburn has had in a
while. I want to see he and McCalebb in a foot race. Let's throw a
squirrel in there, too.

How good was it to see Auburn beat an SEC opponent on the road
handily? How good was it to see Auburn prove the nation wrong? How good
was it see Vaught-Hemingway Stadium taken over by a sea of orange?
Really good.